Category: News & Information

Pope Francis Appoints Special Envoy to Medjugorje, Archbishop Henryk Hoser

On February 11, 2017, Pope Francis named Archbishop Henryk Hoser as special envoy to Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Polish archbishop is being sent to “acquire a deeper knowledge of the pastoral situation” in Medjugorje, and “above all the needs of the faithful who go there on pilgrimage,” the Vatican said.

Archbishop Henryk Hoser of Poland

Archbishop Henryk Hoser of Poland

In a telephone interview with Vatican Radio, Archbishop Henryk Hoser explained his “special envoy” appointment is “above all, about regular, pastoral reception of the millions of pilgrims coming to Medjugorje. This high number is a challenge for the Church and a call to improve the reception if possible.” Asked if his proposals might include the appointment of an apostolic administrator for Medjugorje, the Pope’s envoy said, “Yes, this is not impossible. Perhaps one will have to supplement the structure of the hierarchy on the ground so that initiatives can be better coordinated and thus more effective. I must confirm that these a Archbishop Henryk Hoser re only hypotheses.”

The Vatican’s announcement said that Archbishop Hoser “is expected to finish his mandate as special envoy by summer of this year.” His position is not to report or just the but provide support, initiative, and suggestions for pastoral care of the thousands of pilgrims who travel to Medjugorje each month. Msgr. Hoser added that he did not know when his report to Pope Francis, or any other, would be published.

The appointment of special envoy of the Pope may lead to an upsurge in pilgrims to Medjugorje since the Catholic Church, and the Pope at its head, would never send an envoy to a place that it considered to be under the influence of evil, or a danger to the Church or its people in any way. Medjugorje’s parish priest Marinko Šakota responded to the the news of the appointment saying: “This is an answer to prayer, a moment of grace and joy, and also a time of great responsibility for the parish of Medjugorje.”

Among the supporters of the alleged apparitions of Our Lady of Peace in Medjugorje, one can find several “heavy hitters”:

  • Recently deceased Father Gabriele Amorth, Rome’s longtime chief exorcist. In a YouTube video he clearly states that the Madonna of Medjugorje has come to “bring the world back to God,” after Satan’s great success of building a “cultural world without God.”
  • Padre Pio, who reportedly once told a group of pilgrims from Mostar that the Virgin would appear in their land before it actually happened.
  • In a handwritten letter to Denis Nolan, author of Medjugorje and the Church, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta wrote, “We are all praying one Hail Mary before Holy Mass to Our Lady of Medjugorje.” (April 8th, 1992)
  • Cardinal Hans Urs von Balthasar, regarded by Benedict XVI as the greatest theologian of the 20th century, and said to be John Paul II’s favorite theologian, once said: “The theology of Medjugorje rings true. I am convinced of its truth. Everything concerning Medjugorje is authentic from a Catholic point of view.” He also stated,“There is only one danger alone for Medjugorje—that people will pass it by!”
  • Cardinal Cristoph Schönborn welcomes Medjugorje visionary Mirjana

    Cardinal Cristoph Schönborn welcomes Medjugorje visionary Mirjana

  • Cardinal Cristoph Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna, the main author of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and a close collaborator of Pope Francis said, regarding the fruits of Medjugorje, “These fruits are tangible, evident. And in our diocese and in many other places, I observe graces of conversion, graces of a life of supernatural faith, of vocations, of healings, of a rediscovering of the sacraments, of confession. These are all things which do not mislead. This is the reason why I can only say that it is these fruits which enable me, as bishop, to pass a moral judgment. And if as Jesus said, we must judge the tree by its fruits, I am obliged to say that the tree is good.” (Medjugorje Gebetsakion, #50; Stella Maris, #343, pp. 19, 20).
  • Read an interview with the cardinal here: http://medjugorjeca.org/interview-of-cardinal-schonborn-of-vienna/

Many other bishops have expressed their personal approval of Medjugorje. See www.Medjugorje.com. It is interesting to note that canonized saints from our world’s recent history, Rome’s chief exorcist, and the main author of the Catechism of the Catholic Church have believed in the authenticity of the Medjugorje apparitions. Medjugorje’s strongest proponents come from saints and those who have traveled there on pilgrimage. Medjugorje’s detractors have largely never gone there to see for themselves.

Divine Mercy Sunday Promises for your soul. Don’t miss out! It’s not too late!

Divine Mercy Sunday, perhaps God’s greatest gift of our time.

In the 1930’s Our Lord Jesus requested through Saint Faustina Kowalska that a Feast of Mercy be established and solemnly celebrated in His Church on the First Sunday after Easter every year. The Lord said that this feast would be the “last hope of salvation.”

On the 22nd of February, 1931, Jesus Christ revealed this vision of himself to the young Polish nun, Sister Faustina Kowalska. The image was painted and became a vessel to remind the world of God’s greatest attribute, His mercy.

Divine Mercy Sunday is celebrated the Sunday after Easter. The great promise of this day is the forgiveness of all sins and punishment due to sin for anyone who would go to Confession and receive Jesus in Holy Communion, on this very special Feast. According to Divine Mercy Productions, one may receive the Sacrament of Confession, also known as Reconciliation, twenty days before or after Divine Mercy Sunday.

In the year 2000, after many years of study by the Catholic Church, Pope John Paul II, officially established this Feast of Divine Mercy and named it Divine Mercy Sunday. He died on the vigil day of this feast and was beatified on May 1, 2011, on that same feast. And now on Divine Mercy Sunday,  April 27th, 2014, he will be canonized a saint!

Why would Jesus offer us something so great right now? Jesus told St. Faustina that she was to prepare the world for His Second Coming and that He would be pouring out His Mercy in great abundance as a very last hope of salvation, before He comes again as the Just Judge.

From the Diary of S. Faustina, 699, Jesus said: “On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity.”

In Saint Faustina’s diary, she recorded that Jesus also indicated that He Himself is there in the confessional. Jesus told her, “When you approach the confessional, know this, that I Myself am waiting there for you. I am only hidden by the priest, but I Myself act in your soul. Here the misery of the soul meets the God of mercy. Tell souls that from this fount of mercy souls draw graces solely with the vessel of trust. If their trust is great, there is no limit to My generosity.” (1602)

Jesus knew that people would really need to hear these words of re-assurance today, so He went on to say “Come with faith to the feet of My representative…and make your confession before Me. The person of the priest is, for Me, only a screen. Never analyze what sort of a priest that I am making use of; open your soul in confession as you would to Me, and I will fill it with My light.” (1725)

Many feel that their sins are unforgivable but, Jesus said, “Were a soul like a decaying corpse, so that from a human standpoint, there would be no hope of restoration and everything would already be lost, it is not so with God. The miracle of Divine Mercy restores that soul in full. In the Tribunal of Mercy (the great sacrament of Confession) …the greatest miracles take place and are incessantly repeated.” (1448) “Here the misery of the soul meets the God of mercy.” (1602)

“Oh, how miserable are those who do not take advantage of the miracle of God’s mercy! You will call out in vain, but it will be too late.” (1448) “Tell aching mankind to snuggle close to My merciful Heart, and I will fill it with peace.” (1074) “There is no misery that could be a match for My mercy.” (1273)

By Christine Watkins, inspirational speaker and author of Full of Grace: Miraculous Stories of Healing and Conversion through Mary’s Intercession.

Medjugorje is not condemned due to letter from apostolic nuncio: October 21, 2013

Archbishop Gerhard Müller, the Prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, on whose behalf the papal nuncio writes his letter to the US Bishops

Prior to the release of the final report on Medjugorje, The Papal Nuncio to the U.S. on behalf of the prefect of the CDF Archbishop Müller has issued instructions “that no cleric or faithful may participate in any meetings, conferences, or public celebrations in which the authenticity of the apparitions are taken for granted.”

As Denis Nolan of Mary TV points out, it should be noted that the letter of instructions by Archbishop Carlo Vigano “is a procedural and not a doctrinal document.  It does not pronounce on whether or not Medjugorje is authentic.  It simply makes a prudential judgment to the effect that the faithful cannot participate in a PUBLIC event where the authenticity of the apparition is taken for granted.  It has no bearing on the private convictions of the faithful and, as noted, on the question of whether or not Medjugorje is an authentic apparition of the Blessed Virgin.”

As a result of this letter, the appearance of Medjugorje visionary Ivan Dragicevic’s scheduled public apparitions in late October in the U.S. were immediately cancelled. The Medjugorje visionaries are known for their strict obedience to and love for the Catholic Church, so this comes as no surprise.

Many will see this statement from the apostolic nuncio as the CDF tipping its hand as to what the final judgment on Medjugorje will be, and many will not.

Undoubtedly, some future debate will center around what it means to ‘take authenticity for granted.” Is it simply sufficient when giving or attending a conference, event, or Medjugorje related celebration that one mention  the apparitions are alleged? Perhaps this will depend on the opinion of individual bishops.

What remains true is that the Church has not yet made a final pronouncement on Medjugorje, neither approving or condemning the apparitions. The Church’s investigation is still underway. Church caution has historically been a part of the process of even those apparitions which were overwhelmingly approved–and approved only after they ended, such as in Fatima and Lourdes.

Until the final pronouncement on Medjugojre, the faithful may continue to travel there on pilgrimages currently offered, which have always been non-diocesan sponsored out of obedience to the Church’s continued investigation.

Meanwhile, the millions who have been converted, healed, and nourished by Medjugore will continue to live Mary’s messages of prayer, fasting, monthly Confession, Bible reading, and frequent reception of the Eucharist; and they will pass on her messages of love.

Below is the letter from the apostolic nuncio:

Miraculous light glows from statue in Medjugorje

statue virgin mary our lady glows glowing dark medjugorje visionary seer veggente vicka ivankovic mijatovic blue house anne burford

Photo: Anne Burford

About 9 pm on September 23, a forty-year-old statue of the Virgin Mary located in the childhood home of Medjugorje visionary Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic began to glow in the dark. Hundreds of people gathered as the news spread. On Tuesday evening, the statue started glowing again.

The statue to the left in Medjugorje seer Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic’s childhood room began glowing in the dark on Monday evening. The blue “haze” around the statue has nothing to do with the phenomenon.

Glowing in the dark when no light was turned on, an old statue of the Virgin Mary, which has belonged to the family of visionary Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic for forty years quickly became the center of attention in Medjugorje.

“Mamma mia, tonight around 21.20 the statue of the Madonna in the birthplace of Vicka began to emanate light by itself! Like phosphor! People came from all around to see! You can not take pictures, the flash does not show anything, only the naked eye can see it. Beautiful!” Medjugorje resident Laura Marcazzan Budimir reported.

To see for themselves, hundreds of locals and pilgrims lined up in Vicka’s courtyard and in the street to climb the stairs to the first floor of the house in small groups. See Medjugorje Today article.

The statue has purportedly lighted an entire room and when pictures are taken of it, the light does not show up on images. Now the statue has been moved into the parish priest’s house, as experts from the Vatican prepare to come and examine the statue.

Medjugorje visionary Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic believes the glowing statue in her old room is a genuine sign and a message from the Virgin Mary.

People waiting in line outside Vicka’s old house to see the glowing statue on Monday evening, September 23rd. Photo: Laura Marcazzan Budimirjey?

“I was on the road when my mother called and told me. I just told her, “This is Our Lady’s will. Pray!” Vicka tells the Croatian daily Slobodna Dalmacija.

– You have daily meetings and conversations with Our Lady. Did you ask her anything about the statue that glows, and if yes, what did she say?”

“I neither asked, nor did she mention. She would tell me if it was needed. But I believe that the light on the statue is just another message of Our Lady to turn to the light, peace, joy, and prayer. Our souls are filled with darkness, the world is immersed in the darkness,” Vicka says. “Our Lady has appeared here for so many years, she is constantly sending us messages, and for us to understand them, we just have to open our hearts to them. Anyone can do that, and Our Lady speaks to everyone.”

– It seems interesting that the illuminated statue is not Our Lady of Medjugorje, but Our Lady of Lourdes. How do you explain that?

“The Madonna is one, she wants that way to send her message. After all, the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes was brought me by Italian pilgrims exactly thirty years ago. They brought it from Lourdes. And, behold, it was Italian pilgrims who first noticed the light on the statue of Our Lady. It is Our Lady’s will, I do not decide anything.” See Medjugorje Today article.

 

New book, The Madonna Files, makes top ten list on Amazon bestsellers for category “International Mystery and Crime”

A book you’ll have fun reading, which will inform you of Marian apparitions, as well

From Amazon book reviews:

“If you are a Da Vinci Code fan, YOU MUST READ THIS — Vatican intrique set in the Washington, DC area. I could see the map, streets, rivers, etc. — WHAT FUN! The complexity of the history, story development, character relationships, twists and turns are astounding. The history was so believable that I kept thinking — “wow, I didn’t know that!” The worst news is–it ended. I WANT MORE IMMEDIATELY!!!:

im

Stephen Ryan’s  book is a religious thriller described in an Amazon review as “a cross between Indiana Jones and a Dan Brown mystery.” 

The Madonna Files is, for the most part, set in the near future, but the story begins with a mysterious event that takes place in Rwanda just as the genocide begins to rip that country apart.   From there, the story quickly moves to the outskirts of Washington D.C., where Father Daniel Baronowski finds himself in a deadly race against time to locate a letter stolen from the Pope’s apartment. The letter contains an apocalyptic message.  The hunt for the letter takes Father Dan on an epic journey across the globe.  From Rome to Washington D.C., from Annapolis to grand cathedrals and secret hideouts, Father Dan must find the letter with the secret message before enemies of the Church find it first.

Stephen’s debut novel challenges the prevailing orthodoxies of American history and Christianity, and reveals the dynamic presence of the Virgin Mary throughout the ages. With unexpected turns and a full dose of scholarly intrigue along the way, The Madonna Files is a contemporary novel that explores the hidden secrets of the Virgin Mary.

 Early Reviews:

“I found it to be a great book; a fascinating, fast-paced thriller, written in a strong voice, filled with rich dialogue, complex and colorful characters, a story-line that tackles the most meaningful, religious and political subjects in the world. It is an impressive work…Move over Dan Brown, I was blown away!”  –  Daniel Klimek –  National Correspondent for Medjugorje Today

“A Powerful book of adventure and faith” – FRANK SCHAEFFER
Frank is a New York Times best selling author of fiction and nonfiction. Frank’s highly acclaimed novels include Portofino, Zermatt and Saving Grandma and have been translated into nine languages. His nonfiction includes Crazy For God and Keeping Faith. Frank is a frequent commentator on MSNBC and a blogger on the Huffington Post

“The book was fast paced and hard to put down –read it in just a few days. Loved the characters and the history of both the Church and the country interspersed with Marian apparitions and dogma. Timely and compelling reading. Especially since I had just been to see the new film, “The Triumph.” Overall, a great read. Amazon Review

imAmazon page is here

Author page is here

 

 

20th Annual Marian Conference

Christine Watkins will be speaking this weekend at the 20th Annual Marian Eucharistic Conference in Fresno, CA, September 27-29, along with Fr. Rick Wendell, who died and came back to life, Jesse Romero, great Catholic evangelist, Bishop Armando X. Ochoa, and others.

Call (559) 824-0732 to register. The conference will take place at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center, 2233 Ventura, Fresno, CA. See www.holycrossministries.net.

CHRISTINE WATKINS WILL HOST A NEW RADIO SHOW WEDNESDAYS–WHAT NEXT, GOD? DISCERNING HIS WILL IN YOUR LIFE

CHRISTINE WATKINS IS HOSTING A BRAND NEW LIVE RADIO SHOW

Inline image 2

TUNE IN TO RADIO MARIA

TO DISCERN GOD’S WILL IN YOUR LIFE!

 

WHAT NEXT, GOD?

DISCERNING HIS WILL IN YOUR LIFE

RADIO SHOW with CHRISTINE WATKINS

  

The program will be broadcast LIVE every week

Wednesdays from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Standard

 

Listening is easy. Go to www.radiomaria.us, and click on “LISTEN LIVE,” or find a STATION NEAR YOU,

or listen via SMART PHONE by downloading Radio Maria’s mobile app.

All shows will be archived at www. radiomaria.us/programs.

Pope calls for prayer and fasting today, September 7, for Peace!

Today, September 7th, in an unprecendented move, Pope Francis has called the Church and the world to a day of prayer and fasting for Peace in Syria and the world.

Here is his heartfelt public address

of September 1, 2013:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Hello!
Today, dear brothers and sisters, I wish to add my voice to the cry which rises up with increasing anguish from every part of the world, from every people, from the heart of each person, from the one great family which is humanity: it is the cry for peace! It is a cry which declares with force: we want a peaceful world, we want to be men and women of peace, and we want in our society, torn apart by divisions and conflict, that peace break out! War never again! Never again war! Peace is a precious gift, which must be promoted and protected.
There are so many conflicts in this world which cause me great suffering and worry, but in these days my heart is deeply wounded in particular by what is happening in Syria and anguished by the dramatic developments which are looming.
I appeal strongly for peace, an appeal which arises from the deep within me. How much suffering, how much devastation, how much pain has the use of arms carried in its wake in that martyred country, especially among civilians and the unarmed! I think of many children will not see the light of the future! With utmost firmness I condemn the use of chemical weapons: I tell you that those terrible images from recent days are burned into my mind and heart. There is a judgment of God and of history upon our actions which are inescapable! Never has the use of violence brought peace in its wake. War begets war, violence begets violence.
With all my strength, I ask each party in this conflict to listen to the voice of their own conscience, not to close themselves in solely on their own interests, but rather to look at each other as brothers and decisively and courageously to follow the path of encounter and negotiation, and so overcome blind conflict. With similar vigour I exhort the international community to make every effort to promote clear proposals for peace in that country without further delay, a peace based on dialogue and negotiation, for the good of the entire Syrian people.
May no effort be spared in guaranteeing humanitarian assistance to those wounded by this terrible conflict, in particular those forced to flee and the many refugees in nearby countries. May humanitarian workers, charged with the task of alleviating the sufferings of these people, be granted access so as to provide the necessary aid.
What can we do to make peace in the world? As Pope John said, it pertains to each individual to establish new relationships in human society under the mastery and guidance of justice and love (cf. John XXIII, Pacem in Terris, [11 April 1963]: AAS 55, [1963], 301-302).
All men and women of good will are bound by the task of pursuing peace. I make a forceful and urgent call to the entire Catholic Church, and also to every Christian of other confessions, as well as to followers of every religion and to those brothers and sisters who do not believe: peace is a good which overcomes every barrier, because it belongs all of humanity!
I repeat forcefully: it is neither a culture of confrontation nor a culture of conflict which builds harmony within and between peoples, but rather a culture of encounter and a culture of dialogue; this is the only way to peace.
May the plea for peace rise up and touch the heart of everyone so that they may lay down their weapons and be let themselves be led by the desire for peace.
To this end, brothers and sisters, I have decided to proclaim for the whole Church on 7 September next, the vigil of the birth of Mary, Queen of Peace, a day of fasting and prayer for peace in Syria, the Middle East, and throughout the world, and I also invite each person, including our fellow Christians, followers of other religions and all men of good will, to participate, in whatever way they can, in this initiative.
On 7 September, in Saint Peter’s Square, here, from 19:00 until 24:00, we will gather in prayer and in a spirit of penance, invoking God’s great gift of peace upon the beloved nation of Syria and upon each situation of conflict and violence around the world. Humanity needs to see these gestures of peace and to hear words of hope and peace! I ask all the local churches, in addition to fasting, that they gather to pray for this intention.
Let us ask Mary to help us to respond to violence, to conflict and to war, with the power of dialogue, reconciliation and love. She is our mother: may she help us to find peace; all of us are her children! Help us, Mary, to overcome this most difficult moment and to dedicate ourselves each day to building in every situation an authentic culture of encounter and peace. Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us!

Text from page http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/09/01/pope:_angelus_appeal_for_peace_(full_text)/en1-724673
of the Vatican Radio website

Am I a Bigot? Thoughts on a Future with Same-Sex Marriage

 

AM I A BIGOT?

Thoughts on a Future with Same-Sex Marriage

It’s been a little disheartening these days to see the vicious debates rage over the introduction of same-sex marriage. I’ve been called a bigot and a religious fanatic for the first time in my life. For someone who has spent most of his adult life fighting for the underdog, I wonder, am I really what others say I am? Or is there more to traditional marriage than simply religious fundamentalism or sexual bigotry? Is there any reasonable concern over the potential long term effects, should same-sex marriage be instituted as the law?

So what is marriage? What is the purpose of it? Is it simply a private contract for two people for the benefit of those two individuals, or is there a social benefit to the institution of marriage?

From a social perspective, the public benefit to marriage is that marriage between a man and a woman creates the most stable environment for the raising up of children; therefore societies throughout the course of time have instituted marriage for the raising up of the next generation. The family unit is the first institution ever formed in the world for the ongoing good of people. It precedes the state. It precedes nations. Marriage between and man and woman is a social standard going back many thousands of years, even preceding our Judeo-Christian beliefs. Every society from the Far East to the Americas has made marriage between a man and a woman, (or in a few cases, between a man and women), because cultures across the globe and throughout time have thought that the best way to develop the greatest potential in a child is for that child to have a mother and a father. (For current research on this, click here for the Vatican Insider article: “Here are the problems gay couples’ kids will face.” To read the silenced voices of adult children of same-sex parents, click here.) In order to protect and encourage stable families, societies have either bound a married couple together, so that they can’t easily break their contract, or have encouraged them with incentives to remain together, thus trying to create a stable environment for a child.

But there are plenty of gay couples who have children and parent them well.

This is true.  For thousands of years there have been special circumstances where grandparents, uncles, friends, neighbors have had to take care of children. In fact, a just society has an obligation to protect children born without a mother and a father by creating systems for adoption and special help for the children.  Just as society helps aunts, grandparents, etc., care for a child, society should provide help for same-sex couples who are caring for a child, so that they, too, can provide a stable environment. But should society redefine marriage in order to accommodate these particular special cases?

A problem occurred when the courts redefined marriage so that it could be inclusive of same-sex couples. What the courts did was redefine marriage from a contract between two people for the benefit of raising up children for the next generation, to a contract between two consenting adults for the benefit of two consenting adults. They changed the fundamental meaning of marriage, the innate social purpose of marriage.

The question could be asked, “There are plenty of good same-sex parents, many of whom are better than traditional mother and father parents, so if you expanded marriage to be more inclusive of other types of parents, wouldn’t that be better for society in general?”

When you have a new definition of marriage, which is more about two consenting adults than about raising children, you travel down a new path of breaking down the basic foundation of society- the family. I ask, is this a wise social experiment?

But what about human rights? Doesn’t everyone have the right to marry whom they choose?

The courts have said that same-sex marriage is a human right. The question is, what defines a human right? There are basic human rights of survival: life, food, shelter, and health care. There are also human rights that help people to thrive, such as liberty and labor. Is choosing who one wants to marry an extension of this right? A human right is assumed to be something in common with everyone. For example, every human needs food, water, and air to survive. Every person has the right to religious and political freedom. Doesn’t this automatically extend to marriage? Shouldn’t a person be free to marry whomever they choose?

The freedom to marry is not a universal right, because marriage is also a public institution affecting the common good of all. The state, for instance, does not support marriage between relatives, or between an adult and child, or parent and child, or child to child, for varied reasons. Society, for the good of the whole, has never allowed every individual to marry whomever they choose.

Moreover, often human rights are threatened in the name of human rights. When claims to rights are severed from the just requirements of the common good, the inevitable result is a distorted understanding of human rights that all too often leads to the violation of the rights of others. In redefining the meaning and innate social purpose of marriage to suit a desired outcome, the courts are unwittingly infringing on children’s rights to have a mother and a father.

But why are Christian churches engaged in this issue? Isn’t there a separation of church and state?

The Constitutional separation of church and state means that organized religion will receive neither favor nor obstruction from the state. What is unconstitutional is the state’s establishment of religion or the state’s prohibition of the free exercise of religion. Nothing in the First Amendment separates the churches from society, or religion from public life. They are inseparable.

It is interesting to note that many people are okay with special interest groups like GM, Starbucks, Planned Parenthood, etc., who advocate for private interests to have enormous power and influence over the state, but would like the Church to take a back seat, when the Church, like no other institution in all of history, has fought and continues to fight for billions of people in need: the poor, the homeless, the immigrant, the elderly, the worker, the unborn, the people on death row, and victims of every form of injustice and violence. Without the church, where would basic, universal, civil rights be?

What will this really mean for me? Why should I care if two women who really love each other get married?

The courts have said that marriage is a human right, and they have placed it within a classification of race. “You can’t discriminate against race,” they’ve stated, “so you can’t discriminate against homosexual marriage.” People who say, “Oh, this new view won’t affect how a parent will educate a child,” aren’t thinking long term, for it will be impossible for a parent to define marriage between a man and a woman without being classified as bigoted or racist. The courts have defined it as such. School educators can say, “We won’t be like Boston, or Spain, or Canada. We won’t teach the new definition of marriage in our school.” But this won’t change or override the fact that society has defined marriage inclusively as a racial issue.

There is an incredible risk to society to embark upon changing the foundational structure of society with no social analysis. The courts are embarking on something completely new, untried, and critical to the fabric of society. All of a sudden same-sex marriage is the new human right, with an assumption that it has always been so, when it has never been the case in the thousands of years of human history. And to expect a zero difference in society isn’t rational or reasonable to expect.

The courts have weakened the fundamental social aspect of marriage and made it an issue of personal choice rather than the up-building of the next generation. Most would agree that functional family systems are central to society. Without them, society will collapse. The question is, will society function if the family unit deteriorates any more than it already has?

I ask again, “Is it reasonable to have concerns about same-sex marriage or am I just a bigot?”

 

By John Francis Watkins, Jr.

The new pope is Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio from Argentina–see videos and news report

Newly elected Pope Francis I appears on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on March 13, in Vatican City, Vatican. Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the 266th Pontiff and will lead the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics.

Click below for further news and television reports:

http://wgntv.com/2013/03/13/cardinal-jorge-bergoglio-from-argentina-announced-as-new-pope/